“I’m not sure I’ve got enough time,” she said. “But I really want to.”
Cassidy came in and shut the door. “I can tell this is going to be good. I hope not bad good. Like your dickhead ex isn’t still bothering you.”
She sighed. “He’s not. Some of this involves him; the rest involves someone else in my life.”
“Meredith!” Cassidy yelled again. “You always tell me about men in your life.”
“I’ve kept this quiet because I thought it was one-sided.”
“But it’s not? I have to know.”
“I’m still not convinced it’s not one-sided. I want to start with the bad, but they all have to be mixed in. First, do you know Clay Ridgeway?”
“Not personally,” Cassidy said. “I know it’s Ford’s older brother and he owns Ridgeway Hard Cider.”
“He’s also the person who hired me as the wedding planner. Which you know so I’m repeating myself, sorry. It’s odd. I work for him but kind of also his mother. Or with his mother. I don’t know.” She waved her hand. “Clay is the one I deal with the most.”
“Okay. And you think he’s hot. You told me that.”
“The understatement of the year.”
She pulled her phone out and showed Cassidy the picture she’d gotten of Clay on Saturday. She was taking them of the venue, but you know, he was in her frame when she was doing it.
“Hot damn,” Cassidy said. “That’s better than the other picture you showed me.”
Cassidy yanked her phone out of her hand and pulled it closer, then enlarged the frame over Clay.
“Yes. He’s that intense too. Maybe more.”
“That is exactly the word I was going to use to describe him.Nothinglike any man you’ve been with or would be interested in.”
“Yeah, well. I’ve known Clay since we were kids. He’s six years older, but I was best friends with his younger sister, Gale, until ninth grade when we moved to Glens Falls.”
“Now we are getting somewhere,” Cassidy said and handed her phone back. “So this is like one of those schoolgirl best friend older brother crushes?”
“I guess. Only it’s different now. He’s different. Parts of him are the same, but others are magnified. Let’s say, he’s seen me at my worst since I was a kid. Big thick glasses, tripping over my feet, screaming and waving bugs away from me.”
Cassidy was roaring with laughter. “You still do those things.”
She pursed her lips. “And he’s witnessed them too. Caught me twice from falling. The first time was me tripping in heels the day of the interview. He grabbed my arms to keep me from going down on my knees. He didn’t remember who I was then.”
“That stinks.”
“I thought so too, but it’s fine. He was kind of rude. Well, no kind of about it. It’s just his personality. Gruff is probably the best description.”
“It looks to me as if that fits him. Doesn’t seem to turn you off.”
“No. Not in the least. Am I horrible a person that I find it more attractive?”
“No way,” Cassidy said, shaking her head rapidly.
She let out a giggle. “Okay. That makes me feel better. We’ve had this in your face banter. Like, he’s rude, but I give it back.”
Cassidy’s eyes grew wide. “You’re never rude.”
“I know. Right! But he works me up. I still don’t think I’m rude like him. More like straightforward. I put it out there the first time flirting. He gave it back hard enough to scare me.”
Cassidy’s hand was waving in front of her face. “I’m worked up hearing this. It’s so unlike you.”
